Children of Dumbledore
by Maerwen
Summary: She told of the Children of Dumbledore who would come and save the world, so how is it that these two girls, the Children of Dumbledore that was foretold can't even use magic? Did someone screw up? Interested? Read more inside...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Own Harry Potter, we do not.

Hi guys! Maerwen here! Writing this story with my friend, Arwen. (She really used to look like Liv Tyler as Arwen before she cut her hair and dyed the ends…) New author, nice to see y'all reading this. Now, before we go on with this little ride, there are some things you should know. This story has a great plot (well, I think so, so I'm a little biased) but it also has some new characters. There will be no Harry/OC, Ron/OC, CharacterInHarryPotter/OC romances. This story does start out centered on two female characters but will progress to a much deeper and more Harry & Co involvement. These characters are just part of the plot. I'm letting you know this in case you hate those kind of stories. These characters aren't Mary-Sues and aren't going to be these fabulous people.

This story has the rating it does due to some strong language that will appear in later chapters. It does get toned down quite a bit, but for the comic purposes, the words are used. If you're offended, sorry! It gets better, I promise! Also, later on, there is some adult humor (not explicit, (or I hope it isn't explicit to you) but just some jokes, for example, there are references to Hugh Hefner, that kinda thing).

We have the family tree (you'll read about it in this chapter) but are not uploading the tree in this because I don't know how it's going turn out and I don't want to fight with it. Makes my life simple. If you're dying to see it then e-mail me and I'll send it…it's not THAT great…

If there is anything else…I can't think so that's all you're getting.

Start of Chapter!

**Prologue **

"_To Hogwarts they shall come, unknowing of their true destiny. The 'Children of Dumbledore' will enkindle the spirit of he whom the Dark Lord fears. A dark storm shall cover all the lands in a second darkness but the 'Children of Dumbledore' shall vaporize the dark cloud that is Voldemort,"_ rasped the inhuman voice of the not so famous Professor Trelawney. 'Although the woman was not famous, and most of her "prophesies" (about 99.9) of them were false and never came true, the woman did have her moments. And this was one of them,' those were the thoughts flying through the Hogwarts Headmistress' head, Minerva McGonagall.

The next morning, the Headmistress headed to the library to figure out who the 'Children of Dumbledore' could possibly be. Any help against Lord Voldemort would be most helpful. The last few months had been particularly bad, since the last headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had died. Voldemort no longer feared any witch or wizard, and his minions ran rampant. Not only were they killing the magically gifted but they were also killing any muggle that happened to breathe.

As of the moment she was sitting at her desk in her office pouring over some research books on the family tree of the late Albus Dumbledore. He himself had no children, however his strange, goat charming brother, Aberforth, did have children. She wrote to Aberforth to see how many descendents he had. His reply was less than enthusiastic. He didn't have a clue. He knew he had five kids, two of which had passed away, and he knew he had 10 grandchildren, but they all thought him rather strange (he wasn't sure why) and he had lost contact with most of them. He said he would owl his oldest daughter, who would send information to McGonagall regarding the family tree. That was three days ago and she still did not have a reply. Maybe Aberforth wasn't the only strange one in the family, or maybe Aberforth forgot to write to his daughter. That would be her luck.

As she was about to turn in, a strange looking bird with a mohawk (is that what they're called these days? She never did understand the younger generations' strange hairstyles!) flew through the window with a large scroll. She opened the letter. It was from Aberforth's eldest daughter, asking about everything ranging from the weather to the best muggle nail products. Normally, the headmistress would've skipped over all of the useless confection of words, except the woman, whose name was Fareeda, put very important notes about her family in the middle of the extra rubbish. It wasn't until the end when McGonagall realized there was a family tree with notes attached.

Family Tree of Aberforth Dumbledore and Capricorn Talitha

Married in 1878 (25 Aberforth and 18 Capricorn)

First child born at 32 (Aberforth) and 25 (Capricorn)

Just looking at the family tree she could see that (even though it was written sideways…) there were some who might fit the 'Children of Dumbledore' ages, if the 'Children of Dumbledore' were even children, that is. The oldest of the bunch was 21 and the youngest was 17. Those were the ones who had the dates on the family tree. Most of the dates were missing. Clearly the Dumbledore family was not known for its amazing organizational skills.

With a sigh she gave the strange bird a treat and it headed off. Grabbing a quill she started a letter explaining the situation to one of the Order members, Remus Lupin, to check out all the possible candidates. McGonagall put a copy of the family tree as well as her long-winded letter into an awkwardly large envelope. Her owl looked somewhat uneasy with the amount it would be flying to the receiver. With a quick tie and a little incentive the owl was off with the long letter.

One week later, it was the morning when all of the children would arrive at Hogwarts for classes when Lupin's reply came by owl. There was only one part that really caught her attention. McGonagall read it twice to make sure she had read right.

"…_so I set out using the information you gave me. The children in England are ¼ magical but their ancestors were squibs and the children have shown no talent. Then I traveled to Tennessee, in America, where there was a family reunion of some sort. All of the children there were ranging from 17-20 are ¼ magical. Two or three of them might have had some gifts if they had been found earlier but other than that there is nothing there. However, the eldest two weren't there and are actually in…"_

**To Be Continued...**

Any kind of response will get you a chapter 1…even if you don't like this because then it means someone is reading this…

Therefore, I suggest that if you're going to flame, realize that you're not doing yourself any good. I will welcome constructive criticism with open arms. And if you just want to gush about how wonderful this is, that's fine with me, too.


	2. Hogwarts Horror Movie

Disclaimer: Don't own it, but enjoy writing what comes out of my fingers and onto the Word (don't own that either) document. Any references that we obviously don't own (like when Coach purses are mentioned), are just there to add to the story. HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!! shoots off fireworks

"These crazy Brits and their little trains! I mean seriously, you can't get a taxi so you have to take the train? Who rides a train anymore? Aren't they supposed to be technologically equal to America? This is worse than the Atlanta Airport! Plus we've lost all our luggage, and no one is freaking looking for it!" cried a young woman, all in one breath. She wasn't abnormally tall, only about 5 foot 6 inches, but she had an Irish temper like no other. Her much shorter companion tried to calm the enraged she-devil. With an exasperated sigh, she spoke.

"Bonnie, it's gonna be okay. We're gonna figure this out, so let's just stay calm," said the much shorter girl with the calming voice. After 21 years of practice she knew her cousin could often times be, and usually was, over dramatic.

"Stay calm?! How am I supposed to do that? My Coach purse AND my dress designs, the ones that designer wants on the runway, are MISSING!" the other woman screeched.

"Again, it'll be alright. We will find your purse, and your designs, and anything else you must desperately have; it'll be okay, and then we will get on the train and be on our merry way," was the response with a light pat on the shoulders to the distraught woman. Before the loud and obnoxious reply could come, three teens with strangely dyed, spiked mohawks, ran by, running from an officer. In their haste to get away, they knocked the two women down. Landing with an 'oomff' the taller one started up again. However, her long hair covered her face she didn't see that she was actually yelling at a wall.

"You annoying little brats! Do you have any idea what you fucking shitheads have done? You bastards get back here before I beat the shit out of all of you! Do you see this outfit? It took me days to design and sew and now there's bound to be some tiny problem that no matter what I do it'll never be good-"

"Uh, Bonnie, please refrain from using such French. We're around small children."

"I am not going to calm down! My perfect dress has been ruined! I can never show my face in public again! It's just like in Freshman year when I was NOT in the top 100 and I was embarrassed to the point of hermiticy! When I get a hold of those little-"

"Bonnie! Bonnie, you're yelling at a wall. Bonnie? Do you realize that?"

"I am not yelling at a wall, I am not nearly so stupid as to yell at a," with a hair flip, there was a sudden pause. "Um…where did they go?" Looking at her friend she gave a nervous chuckle.

"Let's just walk this way, Bonnie. Away," the word was stressed, "from the big crowd."

"What big crowd?" Bonnie asked before the two were swarmed by older adults.

"Are you two new professors?" asked one. Before either could reply the train's whistle blows the warning long and sharp.

"Oh, dears, you need to get on the train. Hurry!" cried another concerned parent.

"Uh, yeah, right. Come on, Shelby or we'll be late," Bonnie said, edging away from the psycho parents as fast as possible.

"Okay, yeah," Shelby responded. They got onto the train and into the last compartment just as the train whistled and started forward.

"Finally, we're on a train, WITH NO LUGGAGE!!" Bonnie yelled.

"Uh, Bonnie, we have a bigger problem," Shelby said looking out the window of the compartment.

"What could be worse, Shib? We're being abducted by aliens?" came the sarcastic reply.

"We're on the wrong train."

"What do you mean we're on the 'wrong train'? All of the trains go to the same place, don't they? And if they don't we can always connect to other trains. This would be so much easier in a car-"came the start of a long winded rant.

"Bonnie, look out the window."

"There is nothing but a platform."

"Bonnie! Just look out the window. The 'platform' is 9 ¾."

"Shib, there is no such thing as…" there was a pregnant pause. "SHIT!"

The two scrambled for the door to get off the train as a woman pushing a cart was walking to them.

"Hey, can you move, please? We need to get off the train!" shouted the taller girl.

"Oh, no dears. You can't get off now. The train is away from the station," the sweet old lady responded.

"We have to leave. We're on the wrong train. We're trying to get to school," said the shorter girl.

"This is the train to school. Now, if you'll let me pass, I need to give the little 'uns their usual poison," came the sugary, flowery response from the little old lady. The two college girls watched in horror as she passed with her cart full of treats.

"OMFG, Shelby, it's like those little horror movies that were so cheesy back in the '50s!" whispered Bonnie. Just then a couple of adult sized figures emerged from the cabins in front wearing all black robes with pointed hoods. Shelby stood by, frozen with fear, as her taller companion clutched closer.

"It's the occult! We're going to be virgin sacrifices! Hurry! Back into the little room!" she whispered loudly as they hurried into the little compartment. There they stayed until night when a small little platform started to come into view.

"Okay, as soon as the train stops we're going to just jump out of the window and run like hell," said Shelby. Bonnie nodded and opened the window. As planned, since so much time, effort, and thought went into it, the girls jumped out of the window of the train compartment and hit the ground running when the train stopped. Students stared open-mouthed out the window as two full grown women ran by in muggle clothing screaming their heads off. Some looked worried, others fell over laughing.

"Look! A carriage! It might fit us if we huddle close! Come on!" came the reply from the panicked taller girl. They opened the doors and burst in, slamming the door closed. It was a tight fit, but the two, who were huddling in fear as close to the bottom as possible, were able to fit. Then, just when they thought all was clear, they looked out the window where hundreds of kids in black robes started walking towards them. They both let out little screeches and then the carriage started to move.

"Bonnie, there wasn't a horse, was there?"

A scream was the response she got.

The students watched as the screaming carriage pulled away. Around and up to the castle it went. Then, as suddenly as it started, the carriage stopped and the door sprang open.

"The carriage…it's haunted…RUN!!" cried Shelby. Without further prompting, both girls ran into the large entrance hall and turned a corner where they saw a man riding a horse appear at the other end.

"Is that man riding a horse, inside?" asked Bonnie.

"No...that man _is_ the horse!"

Realizing that their hiding spot wasn't that great, they ducked into a room and peered out as the horseman walked by. They shut the door and leaned back against it with sighs of relief. They looked up and realized that the room was filled with floating transparent people. At this, they bolted from the room while the ghosts watched as they ran. The permanent residents shrugged their shoulders and continued with their pre-school year party.

Dodging suits of armour, changing staircases, and the occasional bat, the two women tried to hide. There wasn't really a good place especially with all of the things in the picture frames watching them. Then, all went quiet as the two women hid behind a large stone eagle statue and peered out from behind the wingtips.

"Are they all gone?"

"I don't know Bonnie. Were those pictures watching us?"

"Now, Shib, really. For pictures to be watching us they would have to be magical."

"I know but-"

She was stopped mid sentence as the stone eagle started to spiral upwards. Both girls screamed as the only exit was closed off.

"Great Shib, now we're stuck and we're going to die because you move too slow!"

"Well, we could've hid behind those huge curtains but because your boobs are so big we couldn't! It was a great hiding spot but you had to go and drink 50 gallons of milk a day!"

"It's not my fault I have great curves where some people don't! Don't blame this on me!" screamed the taller woman. Before the shorter one could respond the door they hadn't noticed opened and an old woman with grey hair wound tightly into a bun and a pointed hat with a feather appeared. She was slightly surprised at the sight.

"We're not virgins!" shouted Shelby at the top of her lungs. Pointing to the other girl she went on with, "She's my lover!"

"Oh my," came the response with a withered hand covering her thin pursed lips. "You cannot be serious!"

"No! I mean yes!...I mean- I don't know! Stop asking me questions!" Shelby cried as she covered her face with her hands.

"Ahem, the two of you appear to be very distraught, why don't you come inside my office for a cup of tea and we'll sort things out. Shall we?"

Shelby uncovered her face and looked uncertainly at Bonnie. The older woman held out her hand and Bonnie took it hesitantly. Shelby got up and followed them into the room across from them. "Why don't you have a seat," the woman said gesturing towards two plush red seats in front of a rather large desk. The girls sat down nervously and watched the woman as she walked towards a small table with an old looking tea set sitting atop it. "One lump or two, ladies?" asked the woman.

"No! You can't make me drink the poison!" Bonnie screamed. Shelby slapped her hand over Bonnie's mouth and said, "She means tea! You can't make her drink…the…tea…" Shelby slowly lowered her hand from Bonnie's mouth and smiled nervously as the older lady raised an eyebrow and placed the cover back over the sugar cup. She picked up the tea tray and walked towards the girls. She set the tray down on the desk and sat behind it. "Now, who are you two young women?"

"We're ummm we're juniors in college and we were told that this train was supposed to take us to this place and we know what it is but I forget what it's called. But the train thingy said it was Platform 9 ¾, which is of course insane, and there were these freakish people in black, and moving paintings, and all these dead people floating around, and-" Shelby paused at this moment and took a large breath before continuing, "And there was this guy who was a horse, and we were trying to hide but we couldn't, and now we're here! And I get the strangest feeling we're not in Kansas anymore Toto!" Shelby said as she waved her hands about wildly.

"Well, I can assure you that you, young lady, are no longer in Kansas. And I'm not sure who you were referring to as 'Toto' but my name is Minerva McGonagall. I am the headmistress here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

The two girls stared at the headmistress with identically confused faces.

"I understand that the two of you have no magical powers whatsoever."

The girls continued to stare.

"I will have someone from the ministry come here immediately. We will fix your memories, you will forget this ever happened, and we will put you back where you are supposed to go. Now, what did you two say your names were again?" asked the headmistress firmly.

"My name is Shelby Rouling and this is my cousin, Bonnie Cigam," said Shelby.

"Did you say you're last names were Rouling and Cigam?" McGonagall asked, oddly curious.

"Erm… yes." Shelby replied.

"What are your parents' names? If you don't mind my asking."

"My parents are Charles and Terra Cigam and Shelby's are David and Elizabeth Rouling," said Bonnie cautiously.

"Ah, well then, that changes everything! You're hired!" McGonagall said enthusiastically.

"Hired for what?" Shelby and Bonnie simultaneously asked.

"Teaching positions of course!"

"What are you talking about, lady?" asked Bonnie.

"You will be teaching Muggle Studies," she said towards Shelby, "and you will be teaching Ancient Runes," she said pointedly towards Bonnie.

"What's a muggle study?" asked Shelby, extremely confused.

"And _why_ are _we_ teaching?" asked Bonnie equally confused.

"You will see, I'm sure that the two of you will prove to be excellent teachers!" McGonagall said, words laced with sugar. "Now, let's find you ladies a place to stay, shall we?" asked McGonagall as she stood up and walked towards us.

"But-but I can't teach!" Bonnie stuttered.

"Neither can I! I can barely understand what's going on in class half the time! That's why I have her." Shelby said as she pointed to Bonnie.

"Not to worry, I have faith that both of you will greatly excel in what I have planned for you. Now if you will follow me I will find you a place to rest during your stay here." McGonagall assured them.

"Stay? We're not staying here! And besides, I hate kids! I'm probably going end up setting some kid on fire or something!" Bonnie said wildly.

McGonagall pulled both of the girls out to the room with surprising strength for an old woman. She dragged them down the stairs and through several hallways, a couple more flights of stairs, and behind a rather large portrait of a gigantic golden ring with an odd inscription on the band. Behind the portrait was a small room with a couch and several chairs in front of a large fireplace. On the opposite side of the room were two doors. McGonagall gave the two girls a slight push and said, "This is where you'll stay, you should find a pair of plain black robes hanging in the armoires in your rooms. Pick either room, they're both the same, just different color schemes."

Shelby and Bonnie walked into one of the rooms to check it out. Inside the armoire was indeed one set of black robes, Bonnie took it off of its hanger and studied it. "Oh my gosh, look at this color, it's so drab. It's clearly from war time, and look at this stitching it's so old fashioned, must be from the 1940's. The whole style in general is completely-" Bonnie was cut off.

"They were very fashionable." McGonagall said dryly.

"Yes, exactly…you took the words right out of my mouth...!" Bonnie said in a completely failed attempt to turn her opinion around.

"I hope you girl's enjoy your stay here. I advise that you turn in for the night. School begins promptly at 8:30 in the morning; breakfast is served at seven," McGonagall said shortly. She nodded her head slightly and exited the room with tightly pursed lips and a dead set jaw. Bonnie and Shelby bid one another goodnight and Shelby walked into the adjacent room. Both girls crashed on their beds and fell almost instantly to sleep, as if by magic…

YAY!! Chapter finished! Like I said last chapter, any kind of response will get you another chapter! grins


	3. Day One Fun Fun

Third chapter! Okay, so I didn't get any reviews, but I felt like uploading it. It's nearly midnight, I'm in a bad mood, so I'm going to do something mildly productive (if you can call this it). I'm so excited about Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! Anyone else?! Okay, here is the chapter…

"GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!!!" came a loud shout that awoke each girl from a peaceful sleep. Bonnie shot out of bed with a start, and Shelby's eyes popped open.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?!" Shelby yelled groggily towards the direction of the loud noise. Bonnie walked into Shelby's room, yawned and walked back out into the common room. She then proceeded to collapse onto the couch.

All of the sudden a pearly translucent thing sprang out of Shelby's armoire and shouted at the top of his lungs, "HELLO, AND JUST WHO MIGHT YOU BE? A NEW TEACHER, EH?"

"SHUT UP!" Shelby replied as she covered her face with her pillow. "Do you even have the slightest clue as to what time it is? _I _am a _college_ student! I do not get up at-" Shelby peered out at the large clock in the common room. "5:30!!!!! UGH, you have got to be freaking kidding me!" She burrowed under the covers and curled up in a ball.

"NOT SO FAST ICKLE NEWBIE!" cried the ghost as he pulled all of the covers off of the bed. "IT'S TIME TO RISE AND SHINE!!"

"I HATE you!! God, I don't even know who the heck you are but I am hating you so much right now!!!" Shelby jumped out of bed and stormed into the common room still clutching her pillow. The ghost flew out of the room through the ceiling as he cackled devilishly. Shelby flopped down on the couch next to a currently snoring Bonnie and closed her eyes as she attempted to drift off the sleep.

What seemed like only moments later both girls were awakened by small hands lightly shaking them and calling, "Miss, miss! It's time to wake up, it is!" The girls slowly opened their eyes and saw before them two very small brown creatures with enormous ears and eyes to match them. "You is supposed to be at breakfast soon! Mistress says you must hurry!" One of the small things said squeakily.

"Oh man, I forgot about that," Shelby said as she looked at the clock again, 7:15. Shelby ran into her room frantically and scurried about gathering clothes and supplies. She dressed in record time and ran back out of the room to see Bonnie still slumped over the arm of the couch. The alert half of the duo was stunned to see that her companion was _still_ sleeping after all that had happened this morning. "BONNIE!!! Wake up!!" Shelby screeched.

"…awake…" Bonnie managed to mumble.

"Bonnie! Get up and open your eyes!"

"hmm….hi Legolas…"

Shelby glanced at the clock, it was already 7:25.

"Bonnie, we're going to be late for exams!" Bonnie's eyes snapped open and she jumped off the couch. Bolting into her room she cried:

"OH SHIT, NOT _**AGAIN**_!" With unnatural speed, Bonnie ran out of the room fully dressed with supplies leaving Shelby behind. Seconds later Bonnie popped her head back into the room and asked, "Shelby, where are the exams…?" She spoke in a slurred Jack Sparrow style, apparently still half asleep. Shelby took pity on her poor soul and walked out of the common room to attempt to help find the Great Hall. The two of them ventured down the hallway until they came to a fork, literally and figuratively. Not only was there a giant piece of silverware standing in front of them, there was also a split in directions. One hall led to the left, the other to the right. Both girls looked to the left, that hallway consisted of nothing but a couple of portraits and a window before it turned to the left again. They then turned and looked down the right hallway to find that it too consisted of nothing but a few portraits and a window. At the end of the hall, however, was a staircase. The girls turned to one another and said simultaneously, "Right." The staircase took them to a very different lower level of the school. When one stepped out of the stairwell they would find themselves in a very large square-like room. There were three doors along the wall adjacent to them and another set of stairs directly across from them. "Well, where the hell are we supposed to go now?" Bonnie asked slightly annoyed.

"No idea," Shelby replied as she looked around the room. The walls were lined with random paintings ranging everywhere from small woodland creatures to black flowers. Bonnie walked over to the opposite staircase and peered down. However, the stairs were circular and she could not make out where they led to.

Shelby wandered around, pondering which door to go through. She opened the first one and found herself gazing upon a forest like setting. The trees formed a small clearing through which the door opened up to. Across from the door was a small waterfall and pool. Shelby raised her eyebrow in confusion and closed the door slowly. "Not that one!" She said still confused as to why there was a forest in the middle of the school.

She opened the next door, hoping that it would be _in_doors this time. It was. The door led to an almost completely empty room that consisted of nothing but a small wooden chair. By now both eyebrows had reached the topmost point of her head as she closed the door and silently moved on the next one. This door refused to budge a bit, even after she ran into it several times with her shoulder. Shelby sighed and leaned back against a painting of a long hallway. Little did she know that she would – "OW!!" Shelby cried as she fell to the ground. The floor was hard, unlike the soft carpet that had been inside the square room. Shelby pulled herself into a standing position rubbing her sore bottom as she looked around. She was indeed _inside_ of the painting. She walked towards the opening that led to the hallway and reached out to see if she could get back out the way she came (or rather, fell) in. There was no barrier that prevented her hand from reaching back into the room and as she stuck her hand out she heard a familiar scream come from inside the room. "Bonnie?" Shelby asked as she poked her head out of the hallway.

"Shibby-doo?" Bonnie asked tentatively from behind the stairwell. Shelby chuckled and said, "I think I may have found a way to the Great Hall."

Bonnie proceeded cautiously towards the "painting" and put one foot through the frame. Shelby leaned against the wall as she waited for Bonnie to test the water. Once fully inside and assured that the hallway was real, Bonnie walked briskly past Shelby and said, "Well, come on then. Let's not wait for the grass to grow." Shelby rolled her eyes and smirked before removing herself from the wall and following behind Bonnie.

After 20 minutes of randomly walking around hallways the two girls bumped into an extremely handsome man with long blonde hair. Bonnie was practically drooling over the long blonde hair and golden eyes. "Can I help you two ladies?" He asked in a gentlemanly manner. Shelby looked at Bonnie to respond but she still wasn't living in the present at the moment. "Hehe, yeah," Shelby said nervously. "Um, we're looking for the Great Hall…" The handsome man smiled widely and said, "Right this way, breakfast is nearly finished, but I'm sure you can grab a bit to eat if you want to."

"Thanks," Shelby said as she pulled Bonnie away from the blonde man. "Come on Bonnie, let's go get some breakfast," said Shelby as she kept a smiling face despite the fact that she was pulling Bonnie into the Great Hall with all her strength. The Hall was nearly empty except for a few lingering students. The girls looked around trying to decide where to sit down when they heard – "Ahem, ladies, may I direct you to the head table and introduce you to several of the other professors?" McGonagall said. Though posed as a question everyone in the Great Hall knew it was a command. The girls smiled nervously and walked towards the headmistress. She stood behind a long table in the front of the Hall, looking rather foreboding in her long dark green robes and black hat. "Professors I would like you to meet some of your fellow colleagues," McGonagall said when they reached the table. "This is Professor Renee Lupin, she teaches DADA." At this the headmistress stopped speaking because of the utter confusion written all over the two girls' faces. A quick cover up was made by McGonagall, "Yes, she is the daughter of the infamous Remus Lupin. I'm sure you have read all about him on your travels, haven't you?" McGonagall then scrunched her face up into what appeared to be a wink, but it did not turn out all to well.

"Uhh yeah, of course, now we know why her name sounded so err…familiar." Bonnie said hesitantly.

"Yes, well, this is Madam Hooch," said McGonagall as a woman with whitish-gray hair and bright golden eyes stood to shake our hands. "She coaches the Quidditch teams here at Hogwarts." Before Shelby and Bonnie could exchange confused glances once again McGonagall quickly said, "I shall give you a full history of our school's Quidditch records later on this week." Bonnie and Shelby nodded and smiled, getting the hint. "This is Professor Flitwick, he teaches Charms." The tiny man stood upon his chair as he reached over the table to shake their hands. He had a grandfatherly face and snow white hair.

"Charmed to meet you," Bonnie said grinning. The professor chuckled as he sat back down in his chair.

"I believe you may have already met Professor Ridnil Prah. He teaches Potions." The handsome professor they had met earlier stood from his chair and grasped each of their hands in his. "I'm sure it will be a pleasure working together, professors." The two girls practically fainted at the sound of his smooth voice and his beautiful smile. All they could do to reply was to nod and smile in awe. Shelby was the first to snap out of it when Professor McGonagall said, "This is Professor Sprout, and she teaches Herbology in the greenhouses outside." Bonnie was staring at Ridnil, again. Shelby poked Bonnie roughly in the ribs before shaking Professor Sprout's hand. Bonnie snapped out of it and scowled at Shelby before realizing that Professor Sprout was attempting to shake her hand. She grasped it quickly while Professor McGonagall gave her an odd look before moving on to the last professor. "This is Professor Emily Avery; she is the teacher of transfiguration."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you!" Emily said as she shook Bonnie and Shelby's hands.

"Everyone this is Professor Bonnie Cigam, and Professor Shelby Rouling. Ms. Cigam will be teaching Ancient Runes, and Ms. Rouling will be teaching Muggle Studies. Now, I would highly recommend that you two ladies get to your classes seeing as it's–" She peered at the giant magical clock behind the long table, "8:15. Classes begin at 8:30 so I would suggest you hurry. I apologize that you did not get to meet all of the professors, perhaps next time this will remind you to move a bit faster in the morning." Shelby and Bonnie looked guiltily at one another before bidding everyone good day and walking quickly out of the Great Hall. They (thank god) did not get lost this time when trying to find their classes and arrived just barely at 8:30.

The scene in the Muggle Studies class was a pleasant one. With a smile Shelby greeted her first class of the day.

"Good morning, class. I am Professor Rouling, and I will be teaching you Muggle Studies this year. My class rules are like all of the others, respect everyone, don't touch anything I don't say you can, and be to class on time. I don't mind if you talk to neighbors, just so long as the talking is kept at a reasonable level. Any questions?" she asked kindly, making everyone feel at ease. The scene in the Ancient Runes class was one of a different nature.

"Good morning, class. I will be teaching Ancient Runes this year and there is one thing we should understand about Ancient Runes: their culture. In ancient times, which we will be simulating later on this year, their forms of government weren't democracies or even constitutional monarchies. They were dictatorships or regular monarchies led by one person. I am that one person. I will be your queen. You will do what I say and punishment will be strict," came the sugar laced words. A smile with a threat behind it topped off the image. "You don't have to call me your queen, but I will be respected. You may call me Professor Cigam. And no question is a stupid question because I won't allow stupid questions." The students looked at each other and kissed the easy class they signed up for good-bye.

Later that day, at 3:30 the two girls showed up at McGonagall's office entrance. She was going to teach them about magic, the school, and basically everything they were going to need to know to sound convincing in public. Apparently McGonagall elected not to tell any of the other teachers the cousins' secret. The two entered the office on time, which went over well with their new teacher.

"Well at least you ladies can be on time to something important," she said as a backhanded compliment. The two girls just stayed silent. "Well, you two have a lot to learn if you are going to survive," and thus she began her lesson. At 6, it was time for dinner and both girls were glad to be out. The lesson had started with current events, and events of the past 20 years, then went to topics such as wand usage and other nonsense. Overall the day was productive but tiring.

"Wow, that was rather long, and it's still going to be longer," Bonnie said. Shelby nodded, "No kidding. Classes weren't so bad, though. I rather like my classes. They're so good, me being a new teacher and all." Bonnie grew an evil grin. "Uh oh, what did you do?"

"Me, do anything wrong?" asked Bonnie. Shelby gave her a skeptical look. "Oh, I just let them know who was boss. I don't have many classes; my topic is apparently not that popular. Anyways, I just let them know who was boss and that I wasn't going to accept bad behavior," came the too sweet response. Shelby sighed heavily.

"As long as you don't kill anyone, it'll be okay," Shelby replied.

"I won't kill anyone," said Bonnie indignantly.

"No maiming, either."

"Oh, darn it."

Dinner was an event like none other they had ever had. Plates magically appeared with food. All of the students were buzzing with gossip and first day news. Many of the females, Bonnie and Shelby included, kept looking at the new potions professor.

"So, you're a member of the Cigam family?" came a question from Bonnie's left. She looked over to the woman she had met in the morning, Professor Sprout.

"Oh, yes. You see, though, I lived in America until this year. My family lives in Tennessee; reminds Mom of good ol' Ireland," came the cautious reply.

"So, you aren't related to those bloody, stuck up Cigams? The ones who are Death Eaters?" asked Emily, irritation showing.

"Probably are, but we don't know anyone this side of the sea," said Shelby. Both girls were thankful for the lesson they had just had, or they would've been clueless to the conversation.

"Well, that's good. They're evil people," spoke Madam Hooch. The teachers were all apparently listening now. Silence reined.

"Oh, so you're from Tennessee? Don't they have muggle transportation devices on cinder blocks over there? At least, that's what I've heard from my father who recently went over there for vacation. He also said that they have extreme religious groups over there. Southern Baptists, or something of the sort," Renee spoke happily, changing the conversation. Both cousins groaned at the sound of the southern Baptists.

"When you see one, run. Or shoot them," was the very honest response from both girls. They looked at each other and started to laugh out loud.

"Why are their so many new teachers?" asked Emily, changing the subject once again.

"Well, the Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies teachers were killed in freak Muggle marching band accidents. Those are where Muggles play instruments while marching, strange traditions. Professor Slughorn retired after a year, and with the whole situation last year the potions and transfiguration positions needed to be filled," came the sad reply. The older members of the staff bowed their heads for a moment and the other new teachers 'ahhed' in response. Bonnie and Shelby were sad, but having no connections to anything they had heard in their lessons the feelings didn't go deeper.

After that, dinner became a silent affair with the sound of the students chatting the only music to fill the void. After desserts, which also just magically appeared (and was as silent as dinner), everyone left to go do whatever.

"Hey, would you two like to join Emily and I later this evening for some Muggle readings? There's this great story about these children who go through this dresser into another world. Muggles have such strange ideas about us in the wizarding community, but it's so funny!" cried Renee. She was slightly spastic, but it sounded like fun. The cousins agreed to much later in the evenings. The four parted ways, laughing about Muggles and their strange mannerisms.

"Wow, this is kind of weird acting like we're not Muggles," said Shelby.

"No, not really. I make fun of people all of the time. It's good to know that there is a reason for it now," responded Bonnie with a grin. Shelby rolled her eyes.

"Library, dear cousin?" she asked, steering the subject away from Bonnie making fun of people.

"Oh yes," came the saucy response. Bonnie latched onto her cousin as they laughed. A couple of students watched the two saunter on by, rather close to each other. The red head turned to his two companions.

"I heard that they're not really cousins. McGonagall was telling Professor Sprout that Professor Rouling told her they weren't virgins and are really lovers," he whispered.

"Really, Ronald, that's absurd. Besides, it's not our business to know," said the girl with hair that looked like the hair had a mind of its own. The cousins ran down the hall laughing crazily after they heard that.

They neared the library, which thankfully was labeled 'Library', and decided on what to do. Since neither girl knew what they were teaching they decided to do the middle school approach of 'we'll take an entire week to get to know each other', while the two professors learned what they were professors of. Bonnie checked out Ancient Runes 101 while Shelby looked at Muggle Studies for Dummies.

"Oh, this is easy!" cried Bonnie. She was shushed by the librarian. With a grin she turned back to her cousin. "This is just like reading them dead languages that no one really knows what they're for. They're for spells!"

"Well, that's useful since you don't know magic."

"_Can it_, munchkin."

"Muggle Studies is just teaching about Muggles."

"Well, that'll be hard to teach since you're shorter than the podiums."

Shelby huffed and pushed Bonnie. Not expecting it, Bonnie fell over with a loud thump. Students looked over at the two with weird looks.

"Bloody Americans," muttered someone.

"Maybe we should leave," Shelby said. Bonnie, who was about to explode into a rant, was quickly dragged out of the library. They headed up to Professor Lupin's room. As they neared, a very powerful female voice blared out of the room. Entering slowly they were nearly blown away by the sight of a woman whose hair kept changing colors. Her curly haired companion was also singing loudly, but she was dancing to the other woman's music, which was coming out of an old phonograph.

"Maybe we shouldn't enter," Bonnie whispered, hoping to be unnoticed by the room's occupants. Just then Emily looked over and waved them in. Having been caught, the cousins entered the room.

"We should have a sleepover sometime," Emily said off the bat.

"Friendly, aren't we?" asked Bonnie. Shelby smacked Bonnie.

"Don't worry. She just fears friendly people. She's not the most wonderful person to hang out with."

"SHELBY!" the name was shouted indignantly.

"Well, it's true."

"Anyways, sorry if we startled you. We can get a little crazy at times. It happens," said Renee.

"Insanity?" Bonnie asked, looking up at the girl's lavender hair with hot pink bubbles.

"Yeah. Being in your right mind is not always the right mind state." All four girls laughed at the attempted joke.

With the icebreaker set, the four talked long into the night. Laughs were shared, with the help of rather crazy antics from all of the occupants, and the four girls bonded well. A couple hours later, three of the girls left Renee's room to go to bed in their respective chambers. That night, the ghosts will always remember, not having ever seen such a party by teachers, _ever_.

You know the drill. Enjoy.

P.S. We're not making fun of southern baptists (well, I guess we are, but not in a bad way). I've been to baptist churches growning up in Tennessee, and the people are very nice. Some of my childhood best friends. So, yeah, we're not being mean. We're just poking at stick in the funny bone of late night ness...I think I need some sleep...


	4. Hogsmeade Attack

Usual diclaimers apply. I'm sorta busy this morning, so now funny intro. Sorry!

**Chapter 4 **

It was mid October and the students were excited. It was the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. Halloween was also just around the corner so this was a good time for students to stock up on tricks for their friends. It was also an exciting time for two certain teachers who were currently sitting in the headmistress's room.

"So we actually have to get wands? Like real ones? We don't know how to use the bloody things," said Bonnie.

"Bloody?" came the response from the proper English woman.

"Yeah, new word I picked up. Do you like it?"

"Bonnie, that's not a good word to use," said her cousin.

"It?"

"No, bloody."

"What's wrong, Shib?"

"Bloody!"

"Would you stop saying that? It's only funny once."

"It wasn't funny!"

"Then why did you say it the first time?"

"I'm confused," Shelby said, holding her head. Bonnie grinned, not understanding why she won the argument, but glad she did anyways.

"Well, either way, you two must get wands. You have to at least have one so that people don't get suspicious. I've sent for Olivander and asked him to come up with some of his wands to see if he can find you the proper one," McGonagall told the younger women.

"But we don't have any money!" Bonnie pointed out. "And I refuse to owe anyone money."

"No worries there, either. I wrote to your grandparents, well, grandmother. Your grandfather was apparently a Death Eater and is currently in prison, but your grandmother was cleared of any such charges. She sent some money for you to buy whatever you needed. She would also like you to come visit her one weekend. I have the letter somewhere around here," McGonagall responded. She went to her desk to fish out a letter from one of the top drawers. The letter was many pages long and on very nice paper, the good, thick stuff.

"We've not heard from Grandmother in years," said Shelby.

"Well, she apparently misses having family around," McGonagall responded.

"Okay, well, we'll be off. We'll make Renee and Emily pay for everything with our money," Bonnie said, not worrying at her lack of knowledge about wizarding money. The cousins quickly left with the cash provided and headed down to where they were to meet all of the other new teachers. The new teachers had been wrangled into taking the students to Hogsmeade.

"So, have you guys actually ever been to Hogsmeade? You know, since you used to live in America and all," Renee asked inquisitively.

"Well, no actually, how is a Hogsmeade?" Bonnie naively asked.

"Haha very funny, you take the lame joke of the day award," Renee replied sarcastically. The two girls chuckled nervously with her, wondering how it had been a lame joke. "Well, it's rather fun. I remember when I came here a couple years ago, that I liked to visit the Three Broomsticks, which is probably still as popular today as it was a few years ago."

"So, it's an arcade?" asked Shelby. Emily had just happened to walk up and heard Shelby's comment.

"What is an arcade?" she asked.

"The best place to loose your money on cheap games," Bonnie filled in. Renee and Emily just shrugged their shoulders at the American duo.

"So, what are we supposed to do with the munchkins?" Bonnie asked.

"Well, from what Minerva was telling me, we just watch the kids and make sure no one gets hurt," Shelby supplied.

"How did you know that and I not?" Bonnie asked.

"I wasn't drooling over a certain potions professor at the time, I was paying attention."

"I was not 'drooling' over-"

"Hello, ladies!"

The girls turned to look at Professor Ridnil Prah. The professor turned out to be one of the most popular and it wasn't hard to see why. He was very tall and thin, but not overly so. His white hair and gold eyes had been somewhat of a mystery until it was revealed he was Madame Hooch's nephew. He was quite the charmer, but that never seemed his intention. He was just an all around nice guy with the body of a Greek statue.

"Hi Ridnil!" all four girls said in unison. He flashed a million watt smile at the lady professors.

"Maybe you girls can join me for a drink later this evening!" he said.

"Oh, sure!" Emily responded, happy for the male attention.

"We need to buy a few things, first," Shelby added.

"Really? Nothing could compare to your loveliness," he said. Shelby blushed.

"Yeah, we need to buy some fabric for the Halloween staff party, and for some new robes." Bonnie said rather dazed.

"Well, I shall accompany you then, and carry your bags for you! And I'm not taking no for an answer," Ridnil playfully interjected.

"Yes, yes, oh yes!" Renee replied breathlessly, thinking that she had found the perfect man. Just then a young group of students walked by, and gave Renee rather odd looks…

"So it's settled then, shall we?" Ridnil laced his arms with Bonnie and Shelby while Emily and Renee followed eagerly behind. The four girls headed off through the streets of Hogsmeade, giggling as the traipsed along beside the gorgeous gift to humanity (aka Ridnil Prah). The five of them came to a halt in front of a small store with the words Hecate's Crafts in large red letters over the door.

"Heh, this must be the local Joanne's," Bonnie joked. Shelby chuckled. Everyone else just stared blankly at Bonnie.

"So," Ridnil said, changing the subject, "Let's go in then, yes?" The four girls grinned and stepped into the shop.

"So what were you ladies thinking of getting for the party?" Ridnil directed the question towards Shelby and Bonnie.

"Well, we were thinking of dressing up as giant M&M's," Bonnie replied.

"Hmm," Ridnil raised his eyebrow in confusion, but quickly regained his composure. "I'm sure that would be lovely, but what do you think of this idea…" He continued to explain his brilliant plan. The girls blushed and giggled, getting redder and louder as he went on.

"Are you sure that's decent?" asked Emily, who was normally up for a good time but didn't feel like loosing her job that day.

"They can't complain, can they?" asked Renee, who was a big fan of the idea. Thoughts were already running through her head.

"It would be even funnier if there was a muggle equivalent," Ridnil said. Bonnie and Shelby looked at each other. Bonnie started to chuckle darkly and Shelby had a smirk on her face.

"Well, actually…" Shelby said, trailing off.

"We'll need your measurements and then we two will do the costumes," Bonnie interrupted. The other three just shrugged their shoulders as Bonnie got a sales witch to take the measurement using a tape measure that measured itself then would tell you the exact measurements.

"Oooh, I like that. Where can I get one?" Bonnie asked, going into fashion designer mode.

"Isle seven, self 12," the witch responded. After getting everyone's measurements, Bonnie and Shelby shooed the others out of the shop and went to get the fabric needed, as well as supplies.

"Hey, Bonnie, here is that tape measure," Shelby said, looking at the back of the product's package. "It says here that all you need to do is have the measurements on paper and it will measure out the proper sizes for the fabric. Anything else, and you need to use your wand to charm it."

"Well, at least it will do something for us," Bonnie said, while grabbing it out of Shelby's hand. Bonnie had also grabbed some self-sewing needles, which would sew an outfit by themselves, as long as there was a picture for it to go by.

They hurried and grabbed the rest of the fabric, which were in colors of green, blue, yellow, orange and red. They also grabbed some red velvet for Ridnil's costume. After spending twenty minutes in a back corner, trying to remember how the money system worked, they paid for the supplies. They left the store, laughing at the fun they would have on the Halloween Night Staff and Seventh Year's party.

"You know, you would think they'd have a better, shorter name for a party," Bonnie said.

"Yeah, like the Halloween Party," Shelby said. Bonnie looked over at her shorter companion and then rolled her eyes.

"You know, if wizards are known for the way they have terrible names, you are DEFINITELY one of them," Bonnie said. They giggled at the long time joke of Bonnie being the mean one.

As they were walking, they noticed some kids running frantically towards the path that led to the school. They seemed to be in a hurry to get away from something.

"I wonder why they're running?" asked Shelby.

"Well, so do I, but they shouldn't be. They probably just hexed someone. HEY! YOU KIDS! Stop running!" Bonnie shouted at the top of her lungs. They ignored her and kept running.

"What was that about?" Shelby asked.

"PROFESSORS!" screamed a girl. It was at that moment when something red whizzed by Bonnie's head, singeing a few light brown hairs. The two girls looked at the now mass of students running towards the school. Shelby grabbed a girl with bushy brown hair.

"What's going on?" she asked, confused and concerned.

"Death Eaters. I'm going to get more teachers. Harry and some others are fighting them off," she said, breathlessly. She broke away and continued towards the school. Bonnie and Shelby, being the stupidly curious girls they are, ran towards where the Death Eaters were supposedly at. It only made sense to run towards something menacingly named after death…

The scene with which they were greeted upon reaching the Death Eaters was a frighteningly chaotic one, indeed. Figures with intimidating silhouettes stood with wands drawn. To the muggle women, who had never seen the Death Eaters, they could relate the figures to the Grim Reaper. With hoods drawn low over their faces, the only glimpse of the face was that of a skull mask. The outline of the person was drowned by great, flowing black robes that seemed to devour the light around them. All in all, the sight was utterly terrifying. A small group of brave souls were doing their best to fend off the evil-doers, but their attempts would soon fail if help did not arrive quickly.

Some of those fighting consisted of students, shop owners, and other wizards. There were already people on the ground but no blood had been drawn, so it was nearly impossible to tell who was dead and who was wounded. The two girls stared in shock, unsure of how to handle the situation. They had been told of Death Eaters, but they had never been exposed to them. Without magic, they were quite useless.

They were helped, however, when a witch with mousey brown hair was herding the students towards the two muggle professors. She was standing in front of the group, wand blasting away, as the students took turns retreating.

"Here, take these students to the school, quickly. I'll cover for you," she said to Bonnie and Shelby.

Shelby started leading the students away, watching out for anyone in front of them. Bonnie stayed back to take up the rear when she saw one of the students still fighting.

"Harry, you have to go!" shouted the witch who was fighting alongside him.

"NO! I can't just sit and let them get to the school to pick off students there!" the boy shouted back. Bonnie grabbed his elbow and began to tug. He shrugged her off. "And why aren't you helping, Professor?" he asked, enraged at the lack of help she was giving.

"Getting you back to school is helping. You're not helping, but distracting!" she shouted back, her temper already bubbling.

"She's right, Harry. Go. If they do get past us, we need someone at the school to defend it," the other woman agreed. For the moment, the battle had stopped near the three, the Death Eaters having been stunned.

"Tonks…" he trailed off, trying to find a reason to stay. Bonnie started to pull him away again. He didn't resist, his reason for staying having been usurped by a greater purpose.

"Come on," Bonnie said. They started to run towards the school, since the other students were now long gone. The shouts had faded to nearly nothing when they were stopped by a figure who had stepped onto the path, effectively blocking them.

"Harry Potter? Running away?" it asked in a mocking drawl. He raised his wand at the stunned teacher. "Really, make this easy on yourself and come along with me, like a good little boy. The Dark Lord is just waiting to kill you."

"Malfoy," Harry ground out, obviously conflicted on what to do.

"You know, this really isn't a good time for me. If it would be okay with you, we can reschedule. I'm free next week on Wednesday," Bonnie started to say. It was then that the man turned to look at her.

"And you are…?" he asked in a demeaning tone. The eyes behind the mask were bored but aware.

"Bonnie Cigam. Professor of Ancient Runes. Just came here from America," she said, clearly nervous but still rather angry.

"Cigam, you say? From the pure-blood line?" he asked, slightly more interested. Out of the corner of her eye, Bonnie saw Harry move. Malfoy also noticed, as he turned to glare at the teen boy.

"Well, how many Cigams do you know?" Bonnie asked, sneering. She did not like the attitude of her captor at all. What did it matter if she was pure-blood or not?

"Well then, you should know of the Dark Lord. Why do you not serve him?" he asked, clearly distrusting of the younger woman.

"You must turn your ears off, or are just stupid. I've been in America. I don't know the Dark Lord, or, if I did, I don't know how to get in contact with him. Duh," she retorted in a condescending tone. Before Malfoy could reply, he was hit in the back with a flash of red light. He dropped to reveal an awkward boy with his wand held stiffly in his hand. He looked uncertain and nervous.

"Did I do that right?" he asked. Harry chuckled.

"Yes Neville."

"So, what do we do with him now?" Neville asked, still nervous around the unconscious form.

"Well, why don't we just take him back to the school? Then they can put him in prison," Bonnie reasoned. The two boys looked at her with a strange expression on their faces.

"Professor, that's not going to help," Neville said, clearly uneasy about telling that to a teacher. Bonnie got the impression that the boy was a nervous wreck and needed medication to help him.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because the dementors help Voldemort," Neville squeaked, "and he's just going to get back out again," Harry answered, upset at the ignorant professor. "It was in the news all summer."

"Oh, right. I, er, forgot," Bonnie answered stupidly. The boys just continued to look at her as if she had grown another head and was talking in an alien language. It was then that they noticed the figure starting to stir. "Shit! Time to go!" Bonnie cried, dragging the two boys along behind her.

"Stupefy!" Harry cried, hitting the black mass on the road once more. Bonnie saw a smirk of satisfaction cross his face.

They reached the school soon afterwards. A few of the teachers were standing outside, putting up greater charms and protections. McGonagall noticed them first.

"Potter! Longbottom! Where have you two been? Professor, what is going on?" she asked, taken aback. "I thought all the students were here. Are there more coming?"

"No, these two are the last of them. Harry and I were stopped on the way back and Neville saved us," Bonnie explained.

"Stopped?" McGonagall asked, sensing the darker meaning to the word.

"By Lucius Malfoy," Harry interjected. That seemed to be enough of an explanation for McGonagall because she immediately sent the boys into the school. She turned to Bonnie.

"I need to speak with you and your cousin right away. Meet me in my office," she said, her countenance grave. Bonnie nodded and went to find her cousin. Luckily, Shelby was waiting in the front hall, agitated with worry.

"Shib, follow me," Bonnie said, being as vague as possible so that the nearby students wouldn't be alerted to the extra situation with the two girls. The two muggle professors headed up to the headmistress' office and sat down, waiting for her.

"So why are we here?" Shelby asked.

"I'm not quite sure, but McGonagall looked pretty upset."

"That's never a good sign."

"No, but how could she be upset at us? Oh well, I'll bite her head off if she yells at us. I so can not do stress right now," the taller cousin said.

"Don't say that, she might be able to ACTUALLY bite your head off," Shelby warned. Both girls were on heightened alert. With their first exposure to unfriendly magic still fresh in their minds, they didn't want to anger anyone.

"But what could she want with us?" Bonnie asked.

"To tell the rest of the staff what exactly you are," came the voice from the door.


	5. Enter Snape

** Chapter 5 **

"You have _got_ to be joking," was the first thought out of Bonnie's mouth. Unfortunately, McGonagall was not.

"I think it is high time that they know. Ms. Granger told me that the Death Eaters were looking for the 'Children of Dumbledore' and that is why they attacked. Somehow, they know who you are, or they wouldn't have attacked the students on their trip."

"How do these children of Dumbledore deal with us? We're hardly kids," said Shelby.

"The 'Children of Dumbledore' is the whole reason you were hired. Now, come with me and we shall meet the other teachers in the staff lounge," McGonagall said and, with a billowing of robes, was out the door. The two girls followed meekly behind her.

They entered the staff room and saw that all of the teachers were there. The room had plenty enough seats for everyone, but it seemed that everyone was so frazzled that no one bothered to sit down. The teachers looked up at the three new arrivals.

"Please, everyone, sit," McGonagall said. It took a moment but the room's occupants finally were seated. Bonnie and Shelby were twitchy, uneasy about the confrontation they knew they were going to have.

"Minerva, what are we going to do about this Death Eater attack?" Professor Sprout asked.

"They were looking for the 'Children of Dumbledore' and they must know that the school is somehow involved," McGonagall said. This threw everyone for a loop.

"But Albus never had any children!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed.

"He did not, however, Dumbledore refers to his relations, I do believe. There are two in this school that could qualify. The others are being watched over by the members of the American Ministry, who have not yet been corrupted as far as I know," McGonagall started out.

"Well, we must find these students and protect them," said the ever blatantly obvious and overly boring Professor Binns.

"Actually, the two are not students. They were hired as teachers so that I may keep a close eye on them. I was surprised with the Death Eater attack, but I suppose that's to be expected now that You-Know-Who is back."

The older teachers looked around at the newer teachers seated in the room. It was quite obvious by their inability to stay still who the two new teachers were. Everyone turned back to McGonagall.

"So, the Death Eaters are looking for those two? Then they must be powerful witches," Binns said in his monotone voice.

"Um, excuse me, but we're in the room. You don't have to talk like we're not here," Shelby told him politely.

"Oh, yes. I forgot you were here. It happens all the time to me."

"Well, duh. You're see-through. We happen to be solid!" Bonnie told him, her temper coming through. She didn't handle stressful situations well.

"That's enough, Miss Cigam," McGonagall snapped. Bonnie shut her mouth with an audible snap. "As I was saying, these two girls were hired. They are not powerful at all, in fact. They have no magical powers that I have seen. They have never been to a wizarding school, nor have they been trained."

"So, they're basically muggles. No magic powers, just magical ancestors. We're supposed to be saved by two squibs?!" cried the hysterical Trelawney. Everyone gave skeptical looks, even disgusted looks, to the two cousins.

"Hey, don't look at us like that! We never asked for this, nor did we ever say we would save the world. Sorry to burst your bubble, but if you can use a spell for miracles, you better start casting it!" shouted Bonnie, standing with her hands on the table. Shelby was nodding her head in agreement.

"Ms. Cigam, sit," McGonagall told her.

"No, I'm not. I am not a child, and I'm not dealing with this shit anymore. It's clear no one thinks we can do this; hell, I know we can't do this. Tell me why we should stay?" The two women were glaring at each other, not backing down.

"Bonnie, we should stay," Shelby said, resting her hand on her cousin's back. Bonnie looked at her incredulously, before slowly sitting down. Shelby turned to the others in the room. "We may not have magical powers, but maybe the prophecy doesn't mean that magic will beat this guy. Maybe the fact we don't have magic is the whole reason we can beat him."

This made everyone in the room start to think about the possibility the strongest wizard known to human kind wasn't meant to be killed by magic. Was it possible? Could that be the reason?

"How would you go about defeating him, though?" asked Madam Pomfrey.

"I don't know about you, but I'm sure a grenade launcher would work," Bonnie said sarcastically. Shelby smacked her upper arm.

"Or, you could annoy him to death," Emily Avery said. She was rather annoyed at the taller of the two cousins. Some of the teachers would have snickered if the subject matter and timing hadn't been so serious.

"I say we cross that bridge when we come to it," Renee Lupin said. Her hair was currently a somber black while her eyes were a dark grey.

"Good idea, I say. Let's think about the students? What are we going to do to keep them safe?" asked Ridnil Prah. He effectively changed the subject, lowered tensions, and managed to look gorgeous while doing it.

"I agree. The children should be our first priority," Pomona Sprout said.

"We can't turn to the Ministry; they've been overrun with Death Eaters," Aurora Sinistra.

"Not that they've been a great help in the past," Rolanda Hooch piped in.

"We should think about reinforcing the current charms," Filius Flitwick suggested.

"That will not be necessary," came a drawled out response from the door. Every head snapped to where Severus Snape stood in all his dark glory. He starred down at every member from above his hooked nose. Behind him were several ministry officials. McGonagall stood and faced him.

"How did you get into the castle?" she asked, in her calmest, coolest voice anyone in the room had ever heard.

"As Headmaster, nothing is barred from me," he said, quite calmly. He strode into the room and sat in McGonagall's previously occupied chair. "As you all have gathered so nicely, it has been decided that I shall be the new Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"On whose authority?" asked Firenze, the centaur. Snape merely glanced at him.

"The Minister has appointed me to the position. As such, I see there have been new additions to my staff," he said, taking complete control, not even bothering to look at McGonagall when he insulted her. No one spoke.

"Are you all stupid? Snape has just told you to introduce yourself!" one of the officials said. He was a rather ugly, bald wizard.

"No, it seems to me that we all have perfect hearing. Mr. Snape did not ask us to introduce us, even if he expected us to fall at his feet," Bonnie spat out at the man. Snape raised an eyebrow at her, with fire burning in his eyes.

"Since you seem so inclined to speak, you will introduce yourself first." Bonnie quickly glanced at McGonagall who inclined her head slightly. These were unstable grounds and it would not do well to get anyone killed. Bonnie stood, preferring a dramatic flair.

"Bonnie Cigam. I teach Ancient Runes. I was hired this year. My blood type is A positive. My favorite color is emerald green. I like fried chicken and I'm allergic to sushi. I hate children but love money. I needed a job. I have a fetish for elf ears and people with a superiority complex piss me off. You're a good example. I-"

"That is enough. Sit," he said coldly. She tossed some hair over her should and sat down. Snape looked at Shelby, who was sitting next to Bonnie. She didn't stand.

"My name is Shelby Rouling. I teach Muggle Studies and came to Hogwarts from America." Before anyone could say anything, Ridnil broke in.

"I suppose it is my turn next. My name is Ridnil Prah and I am the potions professor. I have taught at many schools around the world and have extensive knowledge of potion making," he said, kindly. Snape sneered at the other man.

"My name is Renee Lupin and I have the 'cursed' job of DADA. Rather silly, if you ask me," she said.

"So, the wolf did breed. I wonder who would bed him," muttered one of the Ministry officials. The others snickered at the glare sent their way from the rest of the staff.

"At least he had a good looking kid. I'd be terrified to look yours in the face," Bonnie cut in, her temper taking over quickly. With a roll of her eyes, Emily broke in before anything else could be said.

"Je m'appelle Emily Avery. I am from France, but when the position of transfiguration teacher came up, I couldn't turn it down. I also hope to organize a few more social events this year," she told the men.

"Your plans will be put on hold. This school is lacking in the education of the pupils here. We will change that," Snape drawled out. The teachers were shifting, attempting to quell their anxiety. Something was up.

"Well, do tell. The suspense is killing us," McGonagall let out, her sarcasm obvious.

"All in a matter of time. I have an appointment with a student here that I simply must keep," he said to her, brushing her off. He rose in a shroud of robes and left the room without further ado. The Ministry officials followed in his wake, nearly quivering with excitement. The door had only just shut when everyone spoke at once. McGonagall was able to slip away.

Through the many corridors she went, soundlessly. She went through many secret passages in an attempt to reach her destination faster. She only hoped she made it before Snape.

She was no stupid woman. The fact the Ministry had been infiltrated had not surprised her. It was only a matter of time before Voldemort-she winced mentally-would take power but she did not expect it so soon or in such a manner! Taking Hogwarts like this! Snape was rewarded for his dark deed. Given power over his former peers, teachers and Death Eaters alike. He was now in a position above them all. He followed what he was told and the only student he could possible have an 'appointment' would be Harry Potter.

She reached her destination: the Gryffindor common room. She gave the password and walking into the room. As she suspected, only the prefects, Ron and Hermione, and Harry were up. Everyone else had probably been ordered to their rooms. The trio looked up at her entrance.

"You three must leave, now," she told them.

"Blimey!"

"Professor!"

"Okay."

She almost smiled at their expected reactions. She didn't know why they were so surprised; they all had overstuffed bags at their feet.

"Snape has been put as Headmaster of the school. It is quite clear who put him there and it is equally clear that you three are no longer safe here. You must leave. I suspect that you already have an idea of where you're going."

"Yes, Harry-"

"Do not tell me. It is safer that way. Come, quickly, and leave," McGonagall told them. Harry pulled out an old parchment and muttered into it. He looked up.

"We'll be fine, Professor. If you leave now, you can get away without being caught. Come on, Ron, Hermione," he said, walking past her. She watched the three leave as she followed them out.

"Good luck," she said, as they walked down the hall. She slipped into the shadows just as Snape and his goons walked into the hallway.


End file.
